Sunday, September 6, 2009

Contact Paper Creations

In my last post I shared our leaf place mats. I thought it would make sense to share a few of the other items we have created with clear contact paper. As I said in my last post, I think this is a great medium for toddlers and preschoolers. Here we made a round "stained glass" rose window or sun catcher using contact paper, tissue paper, thin ribbon and stickers. Feel free to be as creative as you wish, any 2-dimensional materials will work. I do try to avoid picture stickers and stick to geometric shapes for design quality and because I want the final outcome to belong to my child, not Disney or another designer.1. Cut 2 pieces of contact paper the same size and set one aside. Tape the non sticky side to your work space and carefully peel off the paper backing. Now the sticky side is up and ready to decorate. 2. You can pre-cut the paper and ribbon, or give your child the scissors and let them start cutting. I have found that most little ones really enjoy the cutting. Show your child how to place the paper, ribbon etc. on the sticky paper.

3. When the design is complete (keep in mind, the younger the child, the more minimalistic the design may be) you are ready to stick the top sheet of contact paper to the design. You will be sticking the sticky sides together. Start by peeling back a small portion of the paper (don't peel it all off at once) and carefully line it up with the artwork on your workspace. Peel the paper backing off as you press the top sheet onto the artwork.

4. Smooth out any little wrinkles and trim around the edges.

5. Hang in the window and enjoy!

As with all art, the variations are endless. You can turn this into a great art history lesson about rose windows in Gothic cathedrals or stained glass windows in general, symmetry, color, etc. You can also use the same process to make different things. We made Valentine's Day place mats in February using the little photo sheets that come with an order of prints. We recently made bookmarks too.

About Me

When I was four years old a friend asked me how I learned to be so good at "coloring". My response, which I have heard my parents tell and retell many times, was that you have to get up every day and color, color, color. Since then I have been doing just that and a little more. My undergraduate degree is in art and I have a graduate degree in art education. I taught art in the public schools for several years before becoming a full-time mom in 2005. I now have two little ones and my creative outlet has been making art with my kids (and a few others).